HAGERSTOWN, MD -- On Saturday, October 3 at Municipal Stadium, a sunny
autumn afternoon witnessed outstanding teamwork, fiery competition, and the
crowning of champions. The postseason excitement at the home of the
Hagerstown Suns was caused not by playoff baseball, however, but rather by
the sixth installment of the team's ever-popular Chili Cook-Off & Music
Festival.A crowd of 1,500 chili aficionados descended upon the Municipal Stadium field from noon until 5:00 p.m. to sample the offerings of 16 cook teams competing for their taste buds. Live local music and kids' entertainment stations completed the afternoon of family fun, which doubled as a charity event raising over $7,500 for the Washington County chapter of The American Red Cross.
"The Chili Cook-Off has made more and more of a name for itself in each year of its existence," said Reed Hunley, the Suns' Director of Promotions & Special Events, "but there was no way for us to expect the type of turnout we saw this time around. The Suns take great pride in being able to deliver the same level of entertainment during the off-season as our fans come to expect while the team is in town."
Cook teams began setting up along the Municipal Stadium warning track as early as 4:30 a.m. to prepare for the monumental task of not only feeding a crowd of thousands come lunchtime, but also impressing the event's panel of expert judges. At the end of the day, Team West Virginia, led by head chef Curtis Smith, took home "Best Overall Chili" honors, while head chef Bryan Davis and The Super Bowl of Chili earned the People's Choice Award, voted on by ticket-holders.
A bold arrangement of Halloween-themed and autumnal decorations earned Petunia's Chili the Best Booth Award. The Little Heiskell Ski Club was the first runner-up in the judges' voting, while Cellby's Chili Champions represented U.S. Cellular with a third-place finish.
As attendees ventured from booth to booth using the free sample tickets included in the price of their ticket, they were entertained by performances from exciting local acts like The Dark Whiskey Band, Love/Hate Thing, and Greg Dahbura. Disc jockeys from area radio stations 101.5 BOB ROCKS! And WAYZ 104.7 were on hand as well, and chipped in to help emcee the event.
The Suns have now raised nearly $100,000 for charity through their Chili Cook-Offs over the past six years. This year's charity, the Washington County chapter of The American Red Cross, is a volunteer-led humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
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